Shaw Memorial Chapel (Karuizawa Churches)

Eastern Nagano Area ショー記念礼拝堂(軽井沢の教会)

Description

Alexander Croft Shaw House and Memorial Chapel are testament to Karuizawa’s cosmopolitan origins as a summer getaway from Tokyo for expatriates and Japanese elite. Shaw built his villa here in 1888, and even today the quiet, cool setting in harmony with the shady larch trees suggests why Karuizawa has become a popular resort town. Inside the Shaw house are pictures showing the elegance of resort life from times gone by. St. Paul’s Catholic Church just off the Ginza shopping street is another classic Karuizawa church with its wood construction representative of the area’s natural feel.